Learning a Dressage Test!!!!!!

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soph21

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hi everyone, im going to try a one day event in august, ive never done Dressage before so hopefully going to try a non-canter test before it. but the ODE is a canter one!!! my friends daughter done it last year and said the test is easy but i downloaded it and it looks really hard!!!

have any of you got any tips on the best way to learn a test?

im really nervous about it but i want to do it and say we've done it!!!!! thanks xxxx
 
Draw yourself an arena on an A4 piece of paper and practice drawing the test as you would ride it.... works for me anyway!!
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My learning style is Kinaesthetic/visual (physically doing something, and remembering shapes is what I'm best at)
I start by drawing it out on a piece of paper - (up centre line, track left, circle at....)Then I start walking the test in a rectangular space at home - not a full size arena - this is wher I pit the transitions in, bits I need to remember eg -ensuring a correct bend, asking for extra softness. It's a bit like learning a dance - what comes next, and where.

when I practice on the horse, I tend to do it in chunks - the bits we have problems with, and just run through it a couple of times in its entirety, because Star tends to anticipate.
 
I fold an A4 piece of paper into about 8 pieces and draw out the different movements one or maybe 2 at a time.

Then i fold it up and put it in my pocket when practicing it through.

Works for me
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Good luck
 
walk trot and canter round ur living room - its best physically doing it i find bcos if i just learn it in my head once on a horse icant do it!just turn ur room into an arena!
 
I am having a go at my first test on Weds. Have been practising all weekend but really struggling with it. Was going to have a go at Prelim, but think it is too much for my first try, so am going to do walk and trot instead!
 
I just keep riding it. But although I may know it I always get someone to read it as my mind goes totally blank when im in the arena so I always like to have back up.

Good luck
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I draw it out loads of times and then I run round the living room doing it, then I visualise exactly what I want it to look like and what it is going to feel like in my head, than I ride through it once to see where I need to do some more work then I ride through it once more and practise it in seperate chunks. Well that is ideal for me but it normally ends up being a panic the day before!
 
I'm rubbish at dressage - remembering the test is the only bit I can do!

I draw it out on paper and go over it a few times. Then I trace it out with my finger on my leg, steering wheel, desk or whatever I have to hand when I'm sitting at traffic lights or having a coffee at work.
I tend to practice the movements separate from the test but have a couple of run throughs before the event.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm rubbish at dressage - remembering the test is the only bit I can do!

Me too & my horse hates it. We did our first proper test a month or so ago the judge said prelim 10 was a difficult test first time round but that was the easiest one going. So in 2 weeks I have prelim 12 & was hoping for something around the 1ish mark. Don't get me wrong I enjoy it sort of but I know I must make myself look a dick
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I have silly little rhymes to remember where the transistions are, like King Az Eats Healthy Carrots, I think that's for P12. I'm just trying to learn P14 and my rhyme is Kevin Frantically Hopes For A Magic Kissing Moment. It's so stupid, I remember it!
 
I hate it & so does my horse. We only do them at ODEs when we have no choice.
I always look a dick and my only consolation is that it saves some other poor sod coming last!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I hate it & so does my horse. We only do them at ODEs when we have no choice.
I always look a dick and my only consolation is that it saves some other poor sod coming last!

[/ QUOTE ]


HA HA HA, i love watching proffesionals doing dressage but i dont think its for me!!! but hey sod it may aswell have a go and try it, atleast i can say ive tried it!!!! oh and we are new to jumping aswell! so the whole day COULD be a lash up!!!!!
 
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